Container opening means



March 18, 1969 G. L. EHMAN 3,433,386

CONTAINER OPENING MEANS Filed Feb. 15, 1967 George L. 5/7/2707? INVEN'IUR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is an improvement in container closure and/or content separating means. It consists of a flexible membrane-like coating across the internal ends of a metallic container. The membrane serves not only to prevent contact of the contents with a can opener, but also, in certain forms, precludes contamination should a puncture in the container end occur. Leakage from the container ends are likewise prevented in the preferred form. The membrane may be formed of any material having flexibility, strength, and long shelf life, and it may assume various configurations and positions, as shown in the drawings, depending upon its intended function.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention resides in the field of containers, generally metallic containers as are used in the food packaging industry, and is directed to a flexible member at each end of the container for preventing contamination of the contents due to entry of a can opener.

Description of the prior art Numerous containerized products require both a sanitary, substantially germ-free container body and also an end closure for the body which, when removed, prevents the can opening means or any cutting from coming in contact with the contents. Containers embodying this feature have heretofore been characterized by a variety of end seam means for receiving the opener and by which the container body is mated to the container ends. For exemplary purposes, reference may be made to US. Patents 2,318,603 and 2,315,563. There is shown in FIG. 2 of each patent the conventional overlap-type seam b which the can opener is prevented from entering the can itself. Reference may also be made to my earlier US. Patent 3,023,927 for a similar type device. A most significant disadvantage with contaminant-free containers of this type is their relatively high manufacturing cost, this being attributable to the variety of complex overlapping seam arrangements. Such overlap seam type containers are also subject to edge denting during shipment and may, in some instances, be opened only with certain kinds of openers. Even with these type containers, experience has shown it is possible for metal fragments and other contaminants to find their way into the contents. Therefore, although various attempts have been made to devise an inexpensive container in which the opener does not contact the contents, none are presently known in the art.

SUMMARY The subject invention utilizes an internal diaphragm or perimetrical shaped member disposed in such a way as to effectively prevent contamination of the container contents by either metal fragments, the can opener blade, or other foreign objects which may find their way through the can ends. The container itself need not have any special flange designs, thus eliminating expensive manufacturing and selling costs. Moreover, the cost of preparing and emplacing "Ice the anti-contaminating element in the container of the invention is extremely low and its presence has no effect on the structural integrity of the container itself. These, and numerous other features and advantages of the invention, will become more apparent upon reference to the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like numerals denote like parts in the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a conventional cylindrical container such as is used for foodstuffs, with the normally internal sock or diaphragm member of full cross cross-sectional area slightly removed from the container end.

FIGS. 2(a) through 2(d) show varying exemplary shapes of the member in which its size is less than the entire sectional area of the container.

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a conventional container body 13 as used for foodstuffs such as soups and soft drinks. Though a cylindrical body is shown, practically any shape container may embody the invention. Normally aflixed at each end of the body is an end element 15, 17. The body and ends are typically connected by any of numerous overlapping flanges commonly known in the art; see FIG. 2(a) for example. Disposed across one or both ends of the container is a flexible but impervious dia phragm element 19. The diaphragm is normally of plasticlike material and may be applied to the container in a liquid or semi-liquid state, depending upon the material being used. The material must be able to flex sufiiciently to sustain without rupture the sharp edge of a can opener and must at the same time firmly adhere to the container wall. The diaphragm material may, for example, be polyethylene, vinyl, or any plastic-like composition which could be applied in the most suitable manner. It could, for example, be sprayed into the can at one end from an opposite open end in liquified or gaseous form. It should be quick-drying to a flexible, pliable, but impervious cover. Similarly, the material may be painted or mechanically applied with appropriate adhesive. If polyethelene or other thermosetting plastic were used, it could be laid across the body with sufficient overlap 21 extending internally up the can wall so that upon slight application of heat, the material would soften and subsequently, upon drying, adhere to the wall. Other non-permeable plastics or materials such as thin film rubber or rubber-like sheet could also be used and could be applied either with heat or by adhesive. After the diaphragm is properly emplaced, the container ends may be affixed to the body by one of the commonly known flange sealing methods.

It may be visualized that in operation, the insertion of an opening tool through a container end will only depress the flexible diaphragm and not puncture it, thereby allowing removal of the metal end element while portecting and preserving the purity of the container contents. When the metallic end is removed, the diaphragm may be severed with a knife or manually pulled away to obtain the contents.

Numerous modifications of the invention are feasible. As shown in FIGS. 2(a)-2( d), the anti-contaminant member can be less than the full cross-sectional area of the container, and may be in innumerable shapes. It may, for example, be of solid square cross section (FIG. 2(a) in which case its walls 33, 31 are adhesively connected to the container body 13 and container lid 17 respectively. The distance d from the body wall to the element must be sufficient to receive the incisor of the opener therein. In this manner, the incisor will not come in contact with the contents, even though the member does not cover the entire end. Furthermore, the member need not be removed itself to empty the container. Even if the element is at a relatively close distance d to the wall, the incisor will at most depress it inwardly, still maintaining the integrity of the contents. It is thus clear that the member could be also of channel shape in cross section (FIG. 2(1)) A round (FIG. 2(a) solid (or hollow) triangle (FIG. 2(d)) and many others. Application of these members may, as previously explained, be accomplished by any appropriate adhesive, depending on the material of the member, or it may, in other instances, be applied by heat directly to the container while in .a non-polymerized state.

The upper surface of the anti-contaminating element may, when desirable, be provided with any touch-sensitive adhesive 35 as shown for example in FIG. 2(d). These adhesive surfaces are characterized by their ability to retain particle size fragments upon contact, thus further reducing possibilty of contamination.

In order to efficaciously remove the anti-contaminant member once the container end is severed about its perimeter by an opener, the element flanges 31, 33 may be afiixed by differential forces of cohesion. This is accomplished merely by providing lid flange 31 of the member with less adhesive area than wall flange 33, see FIG. 2(a). Thus, when the lid or end is removed, the anti-contaminant member will pull loose from it and still be affixed to the wall. Any contaminating particles or fragments will be retained on the member in this manner on the aforementioned adhesive surface. The whole member may then be manually extricated.

From the foregoing, it will be readily appreciated that the invention provides an inexpensive and simplified means for enhancing the purity of sanitary containers. It will also be recognized that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts disclosed herein. For example, the lid flange of the anti-contaminant member need not be adhesively secured to the lid, and may simply extend from the container wall in cantilever fashion, bearing against the lid only with sufiicient force to prevent particles from slipping out of the member and into the contents. Also, the member could. be shaped and dimensioned in channel form (FIG. 2(b)), so that the opener penetrates the container and without contacting the member, i.e., the opener enters the central void of the channel. Numerous other forms of the invention may be adopted in deference to the suggested preferred embodiments shown hereinabove without departing from its spirit and scope as set forth hereinabove and in the claims appended hereto.

That which I claim and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An anti-contaminant element for use in containerized products that are opened by insertion of a tool through a wall thereof, said anti-contaminating element comprising: a thin film-like flexible diaphragm-like member adhesively aifixed to the internal walls of the container proximate the end thereof through which the tool is inserted so that upon penetration by the tool end through the container wall, contact between the container contents and the tool is prevented by said flexible diaphragm interposed therebetween.

2. The anti-contaminant element of claim 1 wherein the element is disposed across the entire cross sectional area of the container so as to form an intermediate flexible barrier between the container contents and container end.

3. The anti-contaminant element of claim 1 wherein said element is disposed across each end of the container likely to be penetrated by an opening tool.

4. The anti-contaminant element of claim 1 wherein said element encloses substantially the entire cross-sectional area of the container proximate the end thereof, except for a portion in the center, the perimetrical edge of the element adjacent the center being adhesively affixed to an end wall.

5. The anti-contaminant element of claim 1 wherein the surface thereof adjacent the nearest container wall is characterized by a touch sensitive adhesive so that contaminating particles entering the container when it is opened will adhere thereto.

6. The anti-contaminant element of claim 4 wherein the adhesive force between the container and the element of said first mentioned connection being less than the adhesive force between the container and the element of the second mentioned connection.

7. The anti-contaminant element of claim 1 wherein the cross section thereof is of generally channel shape configuration.

8. The anti-contaminant element of claim 5 wherein the element cross section is of channel configuration with the convex side of the channel is characterized by said touch sensitive adhesive.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,298,311 10/1942 Reese 22048 3,115,985 12/1963 Fried 22048 3,156,374 11/1964 Scholtz 22029 GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examiner. 

